That said, I know many of you use the one-click installation with many hosts and they automatically install the latest version of WordPress. So, instead of delaying the release of an update further, I’ve decided to post a patch instead which will allow the script to import properly (categories and all) with WP 2.3.x - 2.5.x without problems.

Please note that WPDFI version 2.5.1 will only work with WordPress 2.3.x and up (i.e. 2.5.x). If you are using any other version of WordPress, please use an earlier version of the WPDFI script.

So, without further ado, here’s the download link (You will, first, need to be logged into the member’s area in order to download the files.):

• WPDFI v. 2.5.1

Please note that this version has not been added to the download package and won’t be until the full planned update is ready. It can only be downloaded from the link above.

That said, I’ve put together a brief guide on the process from start to finish. (This guide was actually written as I went through the process of cleaning up a datafeed that I will be using on a site.) It’s only 7 pages long and loaded with screen shots to illustrate everything I was doing.

Free download -> Preparing a Datafeed Using Microsoft Excel (PDF - 144kb)

When I have some additional time, I’ll probably put together a datafeed prep guide using OpenOffice Calc as well.

Tags: datafeed prepation, data feed preparation, affiliate marketing software

• Multiple categories are now supported. You can use additional categories by separating the categories with a comma or by defining a subcategory.
• Ability to overwrite previous content added. On the import screen, you’ll be presented with an option to overwrite previous content, even if the product was already imported, instead of skipping it. Of course, you can still continue with the regular import process, which will skip any duplicate entries.
• Minor bug fixes and code clean up.

The script has also been tested and is working with WordPress 2.2.x and will now come packaged with a full installation of WordPress. The included WordPress files have been modified slightly to provide the following features (everything else will remain exactly the same):

• Removal of default post, page, comment, and blogroll links on installation
• You can specify a default category, blog description, and user screen name during the installation process
• The default link category has been changed from ‘Blogroll’ to ‘Resources’

If you haven’t already downloaded the newest version of the files, please take a moment to do so. After downloading, please remember to add your script unlock code to the new file. (You will, first, need to be logged into the member’s area in order to download the files.)

• WPDFI v. 2.5

You can grab the full download (which includes the modified version of WordPress) from the download area. If this is your first time using or downloading the WPDFI script, it’s recommended that you download the files from your download area or read through the online documentation before using.

Performics affiliates should have received an e-mail from Stuart Frankel, the president of Performics, saying, in part:

I am pleased to announce that DoubleClick has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google. The transaction is expected to close later in 2007. To review the press release, please visit: www.doubleclick.net.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with another industry leader and to provide significant added value to our customers. Joining forces with Google will accelerate our ability to bring innovations to market while maintaining our commitment to providing you with the high level of service to which you are accustomed.

You will retain the advantages you now receive from DoubleClick – including world-class service, leading solutions, deep expertise in and understanding of your business – which, upon closing, will be enhanced by Google’s renowned research and development expertise and leadership in innovation. We look forward to leveraging this partnership to bring you even more effective ways to monetize your inventory.

What does this mean? It means that Google really is positioning themselves to become a leader in the affiliate marketing business and it really is no surprise after the recent announcement of their CPA program (currently in beta).

If you’re interested, you can catch a few glimpses of the CPA backend.

Tags: google, doubleclick, double click, performics

With the above in mind, here are a couple tips to help you maximize the success of your affiliate website or blog.

Familiarize Your Site

Design your affiliate site to look similar to the merchant’s website. Don’t mistake this for a license to steal the merchant’s design, but you can use a similar color scheme and place your navigational elements in the same location . When the visitor clicks through, the shock from a different site will be minimized.

If you’re promoting a number of different affiliate merchants on your site, each with a different design, it’s best to keep your own design very neutral. Use standard colors, place your navigation prominently on the page, and remove as much clutter as possible.

Add Calls to Action

Inform the visitor that the final website she clicks through to will contain additional product information and explain what she’ll need to do when she gets there; for instance, add the item to her cart or sign up for a program. Pay special attention to your individual product pages. Spell out the call to action because if there is no call to action, then she will not take action .

Tags: affiliate marketing website, building affiliate websites

I’ve just noticed a rather creative attempt to use the sponsored reviews systems. One of the advertisers at Sponsored Reviews is offering up to $10 for your review of a website hosting/building program. The twist – the advertiser does not own the site – she is just the affiliate and asks you to use her affiliate link in the review.

Sponsored Reviews - a creative twist?

While affiliate marketing via blogs is still a relatively new and mystical subject for some bloggers, it is gaining traction. As more bloggers educate themselves on affiliate marketing, the model of paying for merchant website reviews with an affiliate link may backfire; the blogger may see the potential for herself, sign up for the affiliate program, then use her own affiliate link.

A way around this may be to have the bloggers review your affiliate website. If your site goes beyond being a thin affiliate, you may receive some positive reviews from the blogger, thus driving traffic to your own personal creation and opening up more opportunities for converting visitors into customers. This method would also help you build link love, gain traffic, and you can actually collect visitor information for future marketing (i.e. build a list).

Just some food for thought.

Tags: paid blog reviews, pay per post, payperpost, sponsored reviews, sponsoredreviews, paid blogging, affiliate blogging, affiliate blog

Just to keep you updated, this new ticket support system will actually be integrated within the member’s area Dashboard. It will make it easier all around to keep an eye on outstanding tickets and for you to submit a ticket.

Another update will be posted when the new support system is online.

The program is still in beta, but it doesn’t mean you can’t test them out on one of your affiliate sites. If you’re already an Amazon Associate, then you can log into your account and snag the necessary code to make it happen. It’s simply a matter of customizing how many links you wish to display and how you wish to display them, then pasting the code into your website.

Context Links are a quick and convenient way to add links to your website and monetize your content. Context Links automatically identify and link relevant phrases within your page content to Amazon products, unlocking new ad inventory and saving you the time from having to manually create links. You can add the links to your pages in minutes, and we provide a wealth of options to customize how they are displayed. (Emphasis added.)

Context Links Beta - You Create the Content. We’ll Link It.

From the example website, it looks as though it’s very tastefully executed and the pop-ups appear to use AJAX which gives it a very web 2.0 feel. Clicking on the Buy Now button takes the visitor into a new window which can be annoying to some (who aren’t using tab control), but it’s nice for the web master which means the visitor never truly leaves the original website.

This program may prove useful to bloggers and other site owners who simply wish to add another revenue stream or a small revenue stream to their website. Just, be careful to use it wisely and not annoy your visitors with all those various underlined links.

Tags: amazon affiliate program, amazon context links beta, blogging money

• OnlySlippers.com
• Playhouses.com
• GiftsForHim.com
• GardenStatueShop.com
• BedroomFurnitureMart.com
• GreatRusticFurniture.com
• JustBathroomFurniture.com
• ModernFurniture.com
• MoreOfficeFurniture.com
• SleighBeds.com

NetShops also provides their affiliates with data feeds, and some of the best ones available. Good formatting, nice titles, and clear descriptions which makes cleaning up the file quick and easy.

NetShops has a wide array of specialty items ranging from toys to furniture to more unique items such as candelabras. If you’re not already a NetShops affiliate, it’s a program you should consider.

Tags: netshops affiliate program, affiliate datafeeds, data feed marketing, specialty affiliate stores

Customize Your Content

Rewriting data feed descriptions was discussed previously, and is a good idea if you’ll be using a feed widely available to other affiliates. You should also consider adding your own personal opinion or thoughts about a product before publishing it. If it’s a product you’re not familiar with, take a few moments to familiarize yourself with it. The custom content lends a new dimension to the site and adds value to your visitors.

Go Beyond Products

Take some time to create articles which you can publish as supporting content on your website. This gives the visitors and search engines something other than short product descriptions to consider. You can even choose a product each week to do an in depth review of and publish it separately from the product listing page. (Of course, you could link to this in depth review from the product listing page.)

Promote User Participation

Open up comments and allow your readers to leave their own product reviews. Encourage them to leave their opinions in the review section of the website to help others who may be considering the product. By allowing these reviews, you’re creating a service for your readers and your readers are helping you to create unique content for your site.

Tags: thin affiliate penalty, internet marketing, online marketing, seo, affiliate product optimization

The zip contains five different content layouts making use of the product title, category, description, price, link, thumbnail, and image. Remember, you’re welcome to modify them to meet your specific needs.

Download custom content files (1.45kb Note: You must be logged into the member’s area to download )
(more…)

It appears, sometime last month, the Florida Attorney General’s office was doing some investigation into the matter which lead up to this development.

One point should be mentioned here, this isn’t necessarily about the actual ring tone providers, it’s about the shady affiliate marketers who misrepresent the product, use deceptive methods to get customers or go so far as to cram the information.

(Via Affiliate Tip Blog)

Tags: azoogleads.com, azoogle ads

Even though there’s already a brief video (opens in a new window) that details the import process, I figure nothing beats actually using the script for yourself to see how comfortable you are with it. (more…)

When you’ve prepared the datafeed file for import, the WPDFI script goes a step further by allowing you to customize your content layout. By default, it comes with a basic structure featuring the product image, description, and an “Order now” link.

However, it only takes a few moments to modify the layout and customize your call to action .

Use HTML tags to further customize how the content displays and if you’re savvy with CSS, then add some style classes to the HTML and style it using the theme stylesheet.

Most important — get creative with it . The more effort you put into your site means the more you may get out of it.

Tags: affiliate datafeed optimization, online marketing, internet marketing

Using the same datafeed files as other affiliates doesn’t mean you can’t have a unique affiliate website, however; there are a couple ways. It does take a little more effort on your part (not much, about 30 extra minutes preparing the datafeed depending on size), but the results may be surprising. (more…)

If you receive an error that you aren’t logged into the blog, it may mean that the WordPress cookie expired before you had a chance to use the script or the internet cache keeps displaying the error page. To get around the latter, simply do a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5).

If you should continue to receive the error, even after logging in and doing a hard refresh, try the steps outlined below.

1. If you’re already logged into your WordPress admin panel, log out.
2. Clear your internet cache.
3. Go back to the WordPress log in area, enter your username and password, then make sure there is a check mark next to “Remember me” before logging in.
   
4. Go the the import area and you should then be able to use the script. If not, do another hard refresh (Ctrl+F5).

Tags: affiliate marketing tips, wordpress datafeed import script, data feed import script

It requires a bit of effort, but when you read the responses and questions left by people, pluck out the keywords in their statements. You may be surprised at what you find.

As an example, while browsing through a gardening forum, one poster was asking about cactus care. This topic may be passed over by a number of people, but it could also prove to be a successful niche to pursue.

Finding various forums is not as difficult as you think, there’s even a site dedicated to tracking and searching forums called Board Tracker.

Once you’ve found your niche, the forums can then lend you ideas for topics to write about within the niche and a way to help you market your new website.

Tags: forum marketing, niche affiliate marketing

Sitting in the same position for long periods of time is unhealthy and may result in back, neck, or wrist problems. Now, sitting in front of a computer screen for long periods of time only compounds those problems.

To combat fatigue, eye problems, and various pains around your body, make sure to take a short break from your computer every hour. Get up, walk around, and stretch (away from the computer) for at least 5 minutes. Every few hours, be sure to take at least a half hour break.

Set yourself up on a schedule as though you were your own employee (because, face it, you are your own employee). In the United States, it’s required for employees to take regular 15 minute breaks and at least one hour long lunch/dinner break.

Taking these breaks may actually increase your productivity. During these brief respites, you allow your mind to refresh itself and when you sit back down at your computer, you may feel like a completely new person.

(This kind reminder brought to you by Linda Buquet: Affiliate Marketing is a REAL Pain in the Neck)

Tags: affiliate marketing tips, online marketing, computer fatigue, work at home business tips

You can be one of these super affiliates if you’re willing to push your own limits. Be willing to put the work, time, and money into your affiliate business as though it were any other type of business. It’s easy to look at the superficial ease of affiliate marketing and plateau. To continually climb, that takes dedication.

It all starts with having a proper plan in place. If you have no idea what you want to do with yourself or your business, it will be reflected in your results. It’s also important to realize there is no quick fix either. A method that works for a super-guru make not work for you — not because it’s a bad method, but because it’s not inline with your own personal style or method of doing things.

Learning is great, and is highly recommended, but what will help you become a super affiliate is diving in and testing the waters for yourself. Don’t be afraid of trial and error, they may become your best friend.

Just starting out in affiliate marketing, you may want to stick with some tried and true methods, but if you want to grow your affiliate marketing business, you must be willing to venture out on your own and test some new ways of doing things.

Tags: affiliate marketing inspiration, super affiliate, internet marketing, online marketing

The concept of article marketing is as simple as its name implies: writing articles with the intention of marketing a product. In the case of affiliate marketing, you could recommend a merchant’s product, and then when a reader clicks through your link and makes a purchase, you receive a commission.

The key to a successful article marketing campaign, besides keyword selection, is using an eye-catching bio box. At the end of every article, the author can add a small blurb about herself. In this area, it’s a good idea to place a link to a recommend product or source of information in line with the topic of the article.

Some article databases frown upon using affiliate links in the bio area (Ezine Articles being the largest player in the field doesn’t allow this), so it’s a good idea to lead a reader to a landing or product page on your own website. From there, the visitor can read more about the product, then click through to the merchant’s website.

Basically, when you create an article, here are the general steps you should follow:

• Find highly targeted and under-used keywords
• Write an article geared towards that specific audience
• Make sure your article title is keyword rich
• Create a bio box which compels the reader to check out your landing or product page
• Submit the article to various article directories
• Track your results

The best way to become great at article marketing is to test, tweak, and test some more. When you find a system that is comfortable for you, stick with it and improve upon it whenever possible.

Tags: bum marketing, article marketing, affiliate marketing, online marketing, internet marketing, marketing tips

• You may now select whether to leave comments disabled or enabled on imported entries
• Four additional custom fields have been added to further customization
• A few minor bug fixes
• Version 2.4 was updated to work with 2.1.x, but has all the same features as 2.3.5.

Future versions of the script will be developed to work with the WordPress 2.1.x branch and will be released with a modified version of WordPress. The modified version of WordPress will only change the installation process; it removes the default post, comment, page and links. Everything else will remain exactly the same.

If you haven’t already downloaded the newest version of the files, please take a moment to do so. After downloading, please remember to add your script unlock code to the new file. (You will, first, need to be logged into the member’s area in order to download the files.)

• WPDFI v. 2.3.5
• WPDFI v. 2.4
  
• WPDFI v. 2.4 w/ modified WordPress 2.1.2 files

The above downloads do not include the documentation. If this is your first time using or downloading the WPDFI script, it’s recommended that you download the files from your download area or read through the online documentation before using.

Tags: affiliate marketing, datafeed script, data feed import, online marketing, internet marketing

There will be no limitations on the license use, however, the cost of the script has been increased from the previous version. As always, if you’re already a customer, you will continue to receive any upgrades that are released at no additional cost.

Along with WPDFI script news, this site will also serve an affiliate marketing news and information outlet. Updated with information found around the internet, new methods for optimizing affiliate campaigns, or anything that may be useful to your affiliate marketing business.

If you should come across information you feel should be published here, just drop a quick note and if it’s newsworthy, you should see it published within a day or two.

Since the site is still undergoing the changeover, you may notice some items out of place. Rest assured that everything will begin to fall into place as the new format settles in.